PGCBL: DiamondDawgs defeat Western Division leader

JUNE 16 PERFECT GAME COLLEGIATE BASEBALL LEAGUE Landon Thibodeaux drove home four runs in a game for the second time this season and the Mohawk Valley Diamonddawgs defeated Elmira’s Pioneers 7-6 on the road Sunday. Elmira, the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball...

The Telegram

Writer

Posted Jun. 17, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jun 17, 2013 at 5:11 PM

Posted Jun. 17, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jun 17, 2013 at 5:11 PM

ELMIRA, N.Y.

MOHAWK VALLEY DIAMONDDAWGS 7, ELMIRA PIONEERS 6

Landon Thibodeaux drove home four runs in a game for the second time this season and the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs defeated Elmira’s Pioneers 7-6 on the road Sunday.

Elmira, the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League’s Western Division leader, scored four runs in the sixth inning to take a 4-2 lead. Mohawk Valley took the lead back in the top of the seventh with Thibodeaux driving in the tying and go-ahead runs with a double.

The DiamondDawgs scored runs in the fifth and fifth innings and led 2-0 behind University of Southern maine left-hander Logan Carman who has yet to allow an earned run through two summer starts. Casey Rodrigue led off the game with a single and scored when Dalton Herrington followed with a double. Rodrigue reached base again on an error in the fifth, stole second, moved to third when Herrington singled and scored when Thibodeaux grounded out.

A two-out error helped Elmira break through in the sixth inning. Carman hit one batter and walked two to load the bases before an error on a ball hit by Andrew Nist allowed two runs to score. Another walk followed and Chris Kalousdian greeted reliever Eddie Broll with a double that brought home two more Pioneers.

Carman, who fanned five batters and allowed three hits through 5 2/3 innings, had not issued a walk prior to the sixth.

Trailing for the first time, the DiamondDawgs came back with three runs in the top of the seventh. Reliever Anthony Ciango hit Mike Fischer leading off then waled Rodrigue. Herrington drove in a run with a single, his third hit of the day, and Thibodeaux followed with a two-run double.

The teams traded runs in the eighth and ninth innings. Sam Dexter singled in a run to put Mohawk Valley up 6-4 in the top of the eighth and the Pioneers answered with a run on a ground out in the bottom of the inning. Herrington reached on a two-base error in the ninth, stole third and scored when Thibodeaux singled.

The Pioneers started the bottom of the ninth with a pair of hits against Mohawk Valley closer Patrick Michon. Matthew Pelt scored when Colby Gee grounded into a force play but Gee wound up at second base on an overthrow. Pinch-runner Parker Curry replaced Gee as the potential tying run with one out and moved to third base on a passed ball before Michon struck Chris Knott out and retired Ryan Plantier on a ground ball to end the game.

Thibodeaux, who also drove in four runs in Carman’s previous start at Adirondack, went 2-for-5 in the win. Herrington stole his league-high 10th and 11th bases while contributing three hits. Rodrigue, Herrington and Thibodeaux, the top three batters in the Mohawk Valley lineup were 7-for-14 with a walk, five runs scored and six runs batted in.

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Knott had two hits for Elmira and Plantier scored two runs.

The DiamondDawgs play their annual school field trip game Monday at Veterans Memorial Park against the Staten Island Tide of the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League. Game time for the exhibition is 10:30 a.m.

Mohawk Valley returns to PGCBL competition Tuesday with a game at home against Cooperstown.